Hi! My name is D. Dan Murphy. I love film and I love drawing. Put the two together and you have a passion for storyboarding. You are a filmmaker with a script, a cast, and a film crew. You have a location for a finite period of time. Time is money and the clock is ticking. You want to communicate to your D.P., your 1st A.C., and your 1st A.D. the directions for the next shot…as fast as you can. How do you do that? With storyboards!

Call or text me. I can travel to your worksite with pencil and paper in hand. I’ll make drawings that facilitate your specific directions. I’m here to help.

Questions? Email: ddanmurphy@hotmail.com

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Frequently Asked Questions:

1) Can I get a digital/electronic copy of my storyboards?

Yes. I do the finished art in Photoshop so I can send you a copy of the file in whichever format you prefer.

2) Will I be able to take away finished storyboards immediately following our preproduction meeting?

Typically, the answer is no. I do a 10 or 15 second sketch on the spot of the tableau you describe--just enough for you to see what the composition looks like. Then I take that sketch back to my studio and refine it and ink it. Then I use Photoshop to add gray-tones. After I'm finished, you get the digital copy; a hard copy is available on request.

Occasionally, I am asked to do quick pencil roughs that the client does want on the spot. These I can do also. The caveat here is that these drawings will be very rough and loose.

3) What do I need to bring to a preproduction meeting with a storyboard artist?

Ideally you should have a shot list. If you have already cast the actors in your film, please make images of the actors headshots available. I don't need a physical copy of them--I can take a quick reference photo of them with my camera phone. If you haven't cast for your film yet, then a "reference cast" will do. Any other visual information (like settings or locations) is appreciated.

4)What do I need to tell a storyboard artist so he can draw the frame?

You'll need to provide this information:

a) How many people in shot: is this a single? Two shot?

b) How close will the camera be? XCU, CU, Med, Full, Wide, Long etc.

c) Camera Angle: eye level, low, high etc.

d) How are you shooting the actor? Frontal, Profile, Three Quarter (front and back view) etc.

You know the shot that you want. I can show you what it will look like.

I was interviewed by VoyageLA. To read this interview, please click here.